Apparatus for cooling a plurality of electrical components mounted on a printed circuit board

Abstract

Apparatus for cooling a plurality of electrical components mounted to a circuit board includes a base plate mounted in proximate relation to component sites on the circuit board at which electrical components are mounted. The base plate includes alignment elements that engage a alignment plate. The electrical components are carried by the alignment plate so that when the alignment plate is installed on the base plate, engaging the alignment elements, the electrical components are registered to and installed at corresponding component sites in a manner that aligns electrical leads of the components to printed circuit pads at the component sites. The base plate and alignment plate are sealed, and a coolant circulated therethrough.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for cooling a plurality of electrical components mounted on a printed circuit board comprising: a base plate mounted to the printed circuit board forming a wall member that surrounds the plurality of electrical components, the base plate having alignment elements formed thereon:   an alignment plate mounted to the base plate to engage the alignment elements, registering the alignment plate to the circuit board, the alignment plate having chuck assemblies holding the electrical components in registered relation and in electrical contact with the circuit board, the alignment plate forming with the base plate and circuit board an enclosed space containing the plurality of electrical components, the alignment plate having a number of openings formed therein to provide access to the enclosed space;   a plurality of heat conductive elements each having a first portion mounted in corresponding ones of the number of openings and extending into the enclosed space and a second portion exterior of the enclosed space; and   a cover mounted to enclose the second portions of the plurality of heat conductive elements to form a conduit to direct circulation of a coolant between the cover and the alignment plate and about second portions of the plurality of heat conductive elements.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second portion of each of the plurality of heat conductive elements includes a plurality of cooling fins. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the number of openings are formed at locations providing access to predetermined ones of the plurality of electrical components. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein each of the number of openings are formed to generally overlie corresponding ones of the predetermined ones of the plurality of electrical components. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first portion of each heat conductive element is in heat conductive communication with corresponding ones of the predetermined ones of the plurality of electrical components.